News

New York banks on Africa!

Africa was the winner again this year when almost 500 people gathered in Manhattan for the annual Change-Maker’s gala ball, to support Self Help Africa’s work with rural entrepreneurs.

“This New York event has really become something very special for Self Help Africa,” said the organization’s director of development, James Kelly. “It provides vital funding for our work with entrepreneurs in hundreds of poor communities in Africa and it’s really remarkable how much of a connection has been forged between Manhattan and Africa as a result.”

“It’s a really fun event but the key is that it’s a night where we’re building success in Africa. The proceeds from one evening here are used to help develop small businesses, increase profits in existing small businesses and ultimately lift people out of poverty permanently.”

One project that received special attention on the night was the 2016 Cooperative Savings And Loan Project, which will see a large group of village savings and loan groups in Ethiopia merged together over a three-year period to build a financially sustainable financial institution.

“Less than one in ten Ethiopian adults has access to a bank account,” explained James, “but all the evidence shows that people are able to grow their incomes faster and deeper if they have an account. So we asked this New York event to support that project in particular, and as a result we raised enough to kickstart our efforts the for the next 12 months. This is a project that will eventually provide savings and loan services to 65,000 adults. If you estimate that behind every account, there’s a family of six people, then it will bring benefits to almost 400,000 people. That’s an impressive impact for just 500 New Yorkers to make.”

“This is our flagship event to support Self Help Africa’s programs throughout Africa,” said James. “Every year, quite literally, tens of thousands of people see their lives transformed from the support that the Change-Maker’s Ball attracts.What better way to spend a Friday night in November than changing someone’s life for the better in 2017, and having a great time doing it?”

Self Help Africa is an international charity registered in Ireland and the United Kingdom Registered charity number: 6663 (Ireland), and 298830 (UK) Self Help Africa is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organisation in the United States.